I like to collect things. Maybe it’s a habit adopted from my immigrant parents. Maybe it’s an obsession of my mathematically inclined brain to collect and analyze the minutia of my life. Maybe it’s the artist in me believing that mundane objects could be combined into mixed medium visual art.
Anyways, here’s the coffee I’ve drank in the last five months. I don’t have the exact dates of when I bought each bag but I’m going off roast date which should be close enough.
In the photo, the bags are sorted from left to right, top to bottom in order of oldest to newest.
| Name | Roaster | Tasting Notes | Roast Date | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blueboon | Sight Glass, San Francisco, California | Milk Chocolate, Mandarin, Honeysuckle | August 26 | blend from Central America and East Africa |
| El Pilar | Four Barrel Coffee, San Francisco, California | Syrup, Elderberry, Molasses | August 22 | Guatemala |
| Tanzania Peaberry | Publik, Salt Lake City, Utah | Green Grape, Passion Fruit, Crisp | September 13 | Tanzania |
| Daye Bensa | Mr Espresso, Oakland, California | Strawberry, Guava, Meyer Lemon | N/A | Ethiopia |
| Las Polomas | Ritual, San Francisco, California | Citrus, Raspberry, Floral | October 9 | Guatemala |
| Samuel Junior Bermudez | Manhattan, Rotterdam, The Netherlands | Star Anise, Dark Fudge, Verbena | October 18 | Colombia |
| Isimbi | Verve, Santa Cruz, California | Golden Raisin, Hazelnut, Cacao | October 18 | Rwanda |
| Keynote | Chromatic, San Jose, California | Caramel, Fudge | November 21 | blend from Brazil |
| Hunky Dory (decaf) | Sight Glass, San Francisco, California | Toffee, Red Grape, Bergamot | November 10 | Varying |
| Lagunetas | Four Barrel Coffee, San Francisco, California | Lavender, Cane Sugar | December 11 | El Salvador |
Most of the bags I get from Whole Foods. Whole Foods generally stocks a good selection of local roasters. If you also live in the Bay Area, I’ve found that the South Bay Whole Foods will carry a wider selection of roasters (like Chromatic). The freshness of the beans is pretty hit or miss but the cost per bag is cheaper than buying it directly from the roaster, especially if they have a sale.
A few of the bags I got directly from coffee shops. Most notably, the bag from Publik is from my travels to Salt Lake City, Utah. I visited their location on W Temple Street last time I was climbing in Little Cottonwood Canyon and Joe’s Valley. I try to buy a bag of coffee from a local roaster whenever I travel. Local coffee is also a really easy gift for your friends that are into coffee.
I probably spend about $20 - $40 a month on coffee. That’s a lot considering I used to spend less than $15 a month back in College. My living expenses are low right now so I can justify buying nicer things. That cost doesn’t include all the trips I make to coffee shops though, since I do love a good espresso drink, which I can’t make at home.
I can’t say that’ve learned very much about tasting coffee. I know what flavors I like (acidic) and what I don’t (chocolaty) but beyond that, I don’t have any advice on which bags to pick.
Well, now that I’ve recorded this data, I can finally throw away these bags. See you in about five months!